FERNDALE, Wash. — When my mom recently told me her book club group was going to meet on Zoom, I immediately thought, “that’s a story!”
I knew the visual image of my 80-year-old mother and her friends chatting away on one of the newest digital platforms would be adorable. I also knew this would be the first time in more than 42 years they would not be meeting in person.
This was a big change for them, but they were not about to let their book group become a casualty of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Growing up in Ferndale, “book group,” as my mom called it, was a constant part of her and our lives. On the second Monday of every month, the group gathered at one of the members’ homes for food, conversation, and to discuss the book of the month.
Brenda Rye started the group in December of 1977. She was a young mom who didn’t know many people in Ferndale and wanted to make friends.
After attending a Tupperware party, Brenda remembers saying to herself, “There’s got to be something better.” So, she invited my mom and a few others to join the book group, and the rest is history.
On Monday, I sat in on part of their book group meeting and talked with them about why they’ve been together for so many years.
When I asked my mom what she loves most about it, she said, “The book group is there for me through thick and thin. We can call each other in between. We can let it all hang out. We can laugh, cry. It’s just been wonderful.”
Members have come and gone. Some have moved, and others have passed away, but the spirit of their group remains unchanged.
Several members told me one of the most rewarding benefits of being in a book group is you read books you otherwise would never pick up, and in doing so, you’re exposed to ideas and points of view you’d never arrive at on your own.
Have you thought of starting or joining a book group? Even if you’re a busy, young mom, Brenda said, “I’m telling you to do it. It was fabulous because it gave me two or three hours a month that I was with other women. I had an excuse to be with them and to be able to talk to them about life.”
The biggest lesson I learned from my mom and her book group is that it’s not just about books. It’s about life, and if you love to read, you know you can never have too many books or friends.